After much internal debate about what to do with my 70 Mustang I’ve decided on a direction for Mustang.
Running out of car projects (there was always something to ‘fix’ on the ’84 Vette). The 07 Vette is going to stay as if for a while, I like just it as it is for now. The Mustang is nearly done, with just a re-upholstery with the front seat, restoring the back of the rear seat and replacing the steering column cover and new carpeting. That’s all coming up soon. But there are a few more things that are going to happen. The time frame will be fluid given the availability of funds (Average Budget) and time.
I wrestled with keeping the car original in the beginning. But with the tired old 250 straight 6 wasn’t going to make it possible, coupled with my desire to have more horse power. I’ve often thought that the 302 swap wasn’t horrible and by keeping the 3 speed manual transmission, my changes didn’t reach the level of a resto-mod and I still think I’m good there. Keeping it period (swapping out items that were actually available for a coupe as options in 1970) I thought was noble in trying to bring it up to a level of performance I “could live with” without straying too far from its original configuration. However, I understand that a ’70 Coupe isn’t ever going to reach the value of any other ’70 model or configuration of Mustang nor will it receive a comparable level of the attention at car shows.
So I’m working out a plan for taking this under rated coup to an all new level.
Currently as configured the car has the following:
11/10/14 – The first Dodge is produced and on the same day 11 years later Ford built its first Tri-Motor airplane.
Not the plane:
1914 - 4 Door Dodge Touring
This is the plane:
Fords 1925 Tri-Plane
11/11/1940 – The first Jeep
1940 Jeeps
11/12/1908 – GM takes over Oldsmobile.
11/25/1844 – Mr. Benz was more in Karlsruhe, Germany (Been there, the wine is excellent, the beer is better and the food is OUTSTANDING!)
11/26/1966 -The DeTomaso Mangusta debuts
1966 DeTomaso Mangusta
11/27/1870 – Joe Mach’s birthday. Yeah…the guy that started MAC trucks. The company started when Joe and his brothers purchased a carriage and wagon company in Brooklyn, N.Y. The first vehicle they produced was a tour bus. (1900) Next up was rail cars and locomotives. At the time they used the name Manhattan. Somewhere between 1910 and 1911 the name changed to Mack at about that time the Mack brothers bought a truck company. Oh..in case you are wonder the Bulldog became their logo in 1922 and the name was changed to MACK Truck. When I was a very young, we called all tractor-trailer Mack Trucks.
1910 Mack Hook and Latter firetrucks
New Auto Factoid format.
The Ford Mustang sold 419,000 cars in the its first 12 months on the marked. That number trumped the 417,000 cars set by the 1960………………Ford Falcon!!!!
Just recently I started comparing technology in cars that we own. A couple of months ago I purchased a 07 Corvette that has a lot more technology then the 84 Corvette I owned and a lot more than my 70 Mustang. We have also owned two newer vehicles a 2008 Lexus GS350 and now a 2011 Lexus RX 350. I’m not going to compare the technology between the two Corvettes nor would there be any reason to compare the Corvettes to the Mustang.
But what I have compared is the level of technology between U.S. cars and the two Lexus (Toyota) vehicles we’ve owned.
First up is the 2008 Lexus GS350. We purchase the car in late 2007, which, as far as a technology time line would be concerned, is smack in the middle of digital music, video and touch technology era. To better frame the time line 3 years ago while attending the Fords on 4th Ave Car Show, here in Tucson, I meet up with a couple of Microsoft guys (one of them I knew from a previous contract I worked) doing the first demo of Sync in a Lincoln. They gave me quick demo and it was excellent technology which is now about 3 years old. Yet this luxury Toyota only managed to have a horribly located, headphone port to headphone port connection for your IPOD or MP3 player. Compare this with the technology in my 2007 Corvette, it at least plays MP3 formatted CDs as well as standard CDs.
Next is the 2011 Lexus RX350, three years further into the mobile data revolution and it still seems lacking in technology. The GS350 had a touch screen information center, the RX350 does not. What replaced that is a joy stick/mouse type device.
From my wife's Rx
It seems a like a step backward. It’s much easier for you to touch the screen while driving. The RX’s device requires the moving around of a cursor, centering it on an icon and clicking the mouse-like buttons. ( Don’t get me started on distracted driving, phone calls vs. eating McDonald’s fries.) The RX is limited to a USB connection for music and that is it. Sure it has options for satellite and blue tooth (as did the GS) , but techno-backtracking from a touch screen is a bit odd and no music storage is nearly pre-historic.
Just comparing technologies for music availability the U.S. cars are ahead. Take the 2011 Buick Lucerne, it has a 60 Gig hard drive for storing music. This particular car can even record radio station you are on for playback. Ford has a host of technology to store music and using Microsoft’s Sync technology, their Fords and Lincolns brands (the dash of the new Lincoln MKX will blow you away) are far superior to the what I’ve found in the Japanese cars. Even a tone-downed Chevy Cobalt has tire air pressure sensors.
While we were test driving the RX a week ago, I asked the salesman about the missing technology and he agreed that Lexus does in fact lag behind in offering this type of technology.
Don’t you think that’s odd? Are American car manufacturers that advanced? Are our car companies just toss in everything, even the kitchen sink to sell cars? Hey..neither of those are a bad thing!!! I’m sold! Besides it a lot easier to eat fries while driving if you have a touch screen to change your music!!!
Your thoughts?
Thanks for reading and drop me a comment.
Tim
Comment from Bill
This reminds me of a co-worker who bought a new Chrysler minivan recently. He was excited to tell me about how big the harddrive was, the DVD system, the ‘info-tainment’ bus, the ability of the ‘my gig’ to link to the satiellite,and on and on. I asked what engine he had-he paused- gave me a dazed look-and said he didn’t really know?
I think Lexus does what US car manufacturers used to do; they build a car that will travel 100K miles with just a few oil changes and one set of tires, and a resale value that is 65% of the orignal sales price 10 years later. The lag of technology does not errode the MSRP sticker prices Lexus still demands for their products while Government Motors still discounts their Buicks $5,000 off MSRP to gain a sale. Then five years later that Buick has a market value of $2,200, and the poor upside down owner is looking for his own ‘bail out’.
Me personally, I’d like to see any car manufacturer ‘de-content’ their cars a bit. It not only reduces the sales price, the weight of the car (some cars have six miles of wire in them now days), but actually increases reliability (less to fail) and performance. That original formula of the Boss 302, or Plymouth Roadrunner where you got roll down windows, a bench seat, and for a few dollars you could get a tach, AC, or tinted glass as the only options is my dream come true. Don’t forget a LARGE V8 powering the rear wheels STANDARD! I’d buy a new 2011 car tomorrow if I could get a taxi cab interior with a 300HP V8 for under $25,000. I looked at the 2011 Boss 302, but it still is techno-overloaded for me to call it a true muscle car.
Can you tell now why I replaced our grocery-getter-always-repair-proned Impala with a Grand Marquis? It is (or was-Ford stopped production in September) the closest car out there that meets my formula: no navigation-no harddrive-no MP3-no Sirius-no 8 speed automatic. Bench seat-4.6l police V8-4 speed automatic-RWD; thanks, thats all I need! I’m used to the blue hair jokes and still happy with my taxi cab, hopefully for the next 20 years and 200K miles.
I have often wondered if Dodge introduced a Challenger with Hemi V8, roll up windows, AM FM radio, and the minimum government mandated equipment for around $25,000 if they would sell, or does our generation require several thousand microprocessors to be interested in their cars?
When I began the restoration of my ’70 Mustang I knew that I wanted to replace the 250 straight six, with 175k miles on it, soon. I had several option, buy a new engine, buying rebuild or buying used. I chose to buy a re-manufactured long block and add my own components.
The option of buying a used engine and rebuilding myself wasn’t an option (average guy, average space and average tools) but I would have enjoyed it.
If you are going to purchase a used engine, dragging out of a junk can save you even more. But you’ve got to check it out before getting it home.
Here are a few tips that you can follow help prevent getting something home that the only real use it can server is to fill a corner the garage.
Now you aren’t going to be able to tear the engine down right there and look over all the parts but you could do the following checks.
1. If the engine still has the spark plugs, pull them a look them over. If they appear to have oil on them you might be looking at ring or value job being necessary (you might want to do that anyway). Likewise if they have water on them you may be looking at a head gasket problems or worse.
Fouled plugs
2. Most likely you are going to be able to pull the heads but you can remove the value covers. Look at for large mounts of sludge build up. That indicates other issues as well.
Sludge Build up
3. If you can drop the oil pan, check the contents for water or coolant contamination. You can also inspect the oil pump. Issues there indicate that there may be damage to pistons and crankshaft.
Oil Pan Gunk
Currently I’m looking for a used manual 4 speed for my ’70 Mustang. Now I don’t have any tips for that yet but I’ll let you know.
This was too good to just pass up and too much to just repeat here. That’s coming up next for my ’70.
So from http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2000/09/t5swap/index.php, here is some very good information on upgrading your Mustang’s (Ford’s) transmission.
Overdrive transmissions are a great thing. They enable you to significantly improve the gearing and acceleration of your car, while maintaining gas mileage and highway cruisability. Unfortunately overdrives, manual or automatic, weren’t offered in Ford vehicles until the late 70’s. But that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with the non-overdrive C4’s. C6’s, and manual 4 speeds of the 60’s. Swapping in a late-model overdrive transmission, namely the T5 manual and the AOD automatic, is a straighforward swap for 289, 302, 351 equipped cars. In fact on most early Fords, the swap is so easy it makes you wonder if Ford was thinking ahead. In this article we’ll go over what it takes to swap in a T5 tranmisssion into an early Ford. In future articles we’re go over an AOD swap for early Fords, and also an AOD to T5 swap for late-model Mustangs.
Slight clearancing of the shifter opening in early may be required. We had to do it on our ’67 Mustang, but in a ’65 the T5 lined up perfectly.
Swapping into early Mustangs, Falcons, Mavericks, and Pintos is easy because the hole in the transmision tunnel for the shifter is in about the same spot on all the cars. The swap is also easy for Fox body cars such as the Granada.
For other Fords, namely the full-sized cars, the swap is a bit more difficult because the engine is placed farther forward in relation to the driver. Ford
used modified shifters and/or longer tailhousings to set the shifter back for the original transmissions in these cars. Unfortunately there is no such modification we know of for T5’s.
If your car is currently equipped with a non-overdrive manual transmission (Ford 3spd, 4spd, or Toploader) the swap is as simple as a clutch job, you can use your existing clutch and flywheel, but you’ll need a crossmember and possibly a slip yoke and driveshaft as mentioned below. For cars with automatics you’ll need to first install a clutch pedal and round up the clutch activation parts (either manual clutch linkage or a cable operated clutch.)
We’ve seen the T5 in several Falcons and Comets originally equipped with column shifters. The owner had to punch a hole in the transmission tunnel and fabricate a longer shifter and/or replace the bench seats with bucket seats. Most Ford cars sold with automatic transmissions have factory stamped holes in the firewall for the clutch pushrod or cable. Usually a hard tap from a mallet will knock the stamp out.
For Bronco and Ranger owners, jamesduff.com sells adapters to bolt the T5 to 2.9L and 4.0L engines.
Toploader and T5 dimensions
Transmission
A
B
C
D
F
Ford Toploader (small block)
6.375
13.25
25.375
n/a
5.5
Ford T5
6.9
14.5
24.7
15.4
5.5
Overal length (A+C)
Toploader: 31.75 in.
T5: 31.6 in.
Where to find a T5? The T5 transmission is a manual five-speed transmission manufactured for Ford, by Borg Warner (now Tremec.) The T5 was offered in Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Capris, and possibly other Ford vehicls from 1983 all the way up to 1996, but you have to be careful -there are different specifications for 4-cylinder, 6-cylinder, and V8 cars. What you want is a T5 from a V8 car, ideally a Mustang. The 1983-1989 V8 T5’s are rated at 265 lb.ft. of torque, while the 90-93 T5’s are rated good to 300lb.ft of torque (93 Mustang Cobra T5 is rated for 310 lb.ft.) The difference is in the internal components and also the gearing. See the chart below for gearing differences. The 1994-1995 T5’s are not desirable because the input shaft length and thus bellhousing depth were changed to accomodate the new SN95 Mustang body style. If you do come across one of these dirt cheap the input shaft can be replaced with one from an earlier T5, but it’d have to be a really good deal (read free) to go through the trouble. Finally, we should mention that the T5 is also called the “World Class T5”, but many people incorrectly believe the term World Class refers to a stronger type of T5. All Borg Warner T5’s are considered “World Class”, so don’t rely on that term to indicate the type of T5 you have. The best bet is to find the T5 attached to the car, or with reliable evidence of the car it came out of. If that fails, look for the stamped aluminum tag hanging of one of the tail shaft bolts and use the ID chart to identify the model. Copy the numbers down and call D&D or Hanlon and beg them to tell you what year it’s out of.
While it is best to shoot for the 90-93 T5 due to its increase torque capacity, you shouldn’t pass up a good 83-89 T5, espeically if you’re engine is not heavily modified. We’ve found that T5 strength and longevity is more a factor of its condition and mileage rather than it’s torque rating. A used, high mileage, Cobra T5 will probably shift poorly and give out much sooner than a earlier T5 that came out of grandma’s car. The T5 in Project 11.99 was bought from a wrecked 1990 Mustang 5.0 with 50,000 miles. We’ve had it in the car for nearly five years now, over 400 passes at the strip, and it shifts as crisp as it did on day one.
By the way, always take the bellhousing and block plate if they are available. The T5 swap can be done two ways, using a T5 bellhousing or using an early Ford manual bellhousing. It is much easier and cheaper to use the T5 bell, we’ll explain why below.
What to pay?
Used T5’s can be bought for as cheap as $100 out of a wrecking yard, however we rarely ever see Mustang 5.0’s in public wrecking yards, most of the cars go to specialty dismantelers. You’re better off searching the classifieds and online Ford bulletin boards for guys parting out their Mustang, or perhaps upgrading to stronger transmission wanting to sell the T5 cheap. A fair price for a used, but not abused, less than 80K T5, is between $300 and $500. Any more than that and you should consider buying a rebuilt/refurbished T5 for around $700 from places like D&D or Hanlon. If you want to be extra safe you can buy the T5 new. Both the above sources, as well as Ford Racing Parts and Summit Racing, sell brand new T5 “Z” spec transmissions. The Z spec. transmisison is rated for 330 lb.ft. and sells for around $1300.
As with every car show there are some very good paint jobs. There are the cars that have a traditionally paint with flawless surfaces and deep ” you could shave in them” in them shine.
Then there are unique paint schemes, ghost flames or custom air brushed images.
Here are a few from a recent car show I attended.
Check out this custom Ford pick up.
Two Tone Black and Yellow...that's not all
Check out the bed!!!!
That is some great air brushing!!!
Check out this VW Bus.
Front view
Side View
And for really interesting paint jobs. Stop by the Bike section of the show.
Ghost Rider Bike
Even if you don’t like the paint you’ve got to appreciated the effort that goes into the work. Nothing but pure art.
Got a kool paint job on your ride? Drop me a pick.
A few big ones this week.
11/15/1977 – Ford sell its 100 millionth CAR. What was the car? A Mustang? One of the legendary F150s? Nope it was a 1978 Ford Fairmont Futura (the triple F).
Ford Fairmont Futura (The Triple F) Although some owners had an additional F to add.
The guy that started Honda Soichiro Honda was born 11/17/1906 in Japan.
11/18/1940 Buick produced it 4 millionth car.
http://ucapusa.com/heritage_buick.htm
1940 Buick Super Coupe
One day and 19 years later (11/19/1959) Ford stopped the production of the ugliest cars you’d love to own the “Edsel”.
I love going to car shows. I recently attended one of Tucson, AZ largest car shows called “Cops and Rodders” (for my 3rd year). It is huge by our standards, over 500 cars, trucks, military vehicles, emergency response vehicles and a lot more. Entering my cars is a lot of fun and getting to talk about them we complete strangers, often having nothing in common with you except that love of cars, is a great way to spend a day.
Besides having conversations with anyone that stops by, I enjoy wandering around the shows. There aren’t too many cars that don’t interest me. Oh I don’t really care for the tricked out PT Cruiser with the giant stereo or limo-Hummers (or any other SUV in that configuration), but there’s something about most cars I can find to like.
One of my favorite, all time favorite thing are the painted dash boards of the 60’s and earlier cars. The lines are clean, the surface is smooth and rather than dull down the interior it makes bright and colorful and the contract between the paint, the chrome that normally accompanies them and the gauges just stand out that much more.
Take this 1960’s Impala. It’s bright and clean. Not the dull, padded dashes of today’s cars. Yes..I get the safety aspects and that’s a good thing, but come on, look at this and say you don’t like it…I bet you can’t.
1960 Impala
It's a thing of beauty!!!!
Got a painted dash? Send me a pic and I’ll post it up.
